High earner, not rich yet? Here's how you can get the Henry look on a budget

Are you a Henry? Which is to say, are you a High-Earner, Not Rich Yet? If you’re doing well at life but you’re not wealthy, then you probably are. But what should you wear? The key is aspirational dressing on a budget: appearing successful without bankrupting yourself

Henry is a term for someone who earns enough but whose outgoings mean they see little of it at the moment – High-Earner, Not Rich Yet. Still, understandably the Henries among us would like the lifestyle that goes with it.

There are many reasons why one might want to look successful. Maybe you’re hoping to attract a pretty lady or a dashing gentleman and your looks alone won’t quite cut it. Possibly it’s all a cunning ruse to convince your parents that you’re more successful than you actually are. Perhaps you’re dressing like the man you want to become – a bloated plutocrat – in an act of self-fulfilling fashion prophecy. Maybe you’re just very conceited.

But of course there’s nothing wrong with wishing to look the part. If you can’t become the 1% – and 99% of us cannot – there’s little stopping you from making your style your own. This September Whistles will be launching its first ever menswear line to satisfy all your Henry needs. The collection offers luxurious black shearling biker jackets, mohair sweaters and even cashmere tracksuits – quality fabrics are key to this look. While many hardcore followers of fashion have an obsession with the latest trends, you’re better off investing wisely in key, a-fashionable pieces you’ll wear for years to come. Here’s how:

Investment shoes

If you’re only going to buy one timeless item then a pair of smart shoes is the perfect investment. My favourites are these tan-and-white brogues by Grenson, a traditional British shoemakers that has been perfecting its craft since 1866.

Luxury fabrics

Secondhand designer clothing is a cheaper way of wearing expensive labels, and also allows you to uncover some real classics. If you don’t do secondhand – maybe you’re the sort that refuses to walk a mile in another man’s shoes – then Cos is the perfect place for finding sophisticated and well-constructed clothing that looks a lot more expensive than it actually is. Alongside other high-street retailers such as Uniqlo and Gap, they do affordable classics in luxury fabrics like merino wools and cashmeres. Myself I’m especially taken with Cos’s printed merino jumper for £59, which looks like the mythical Jaguar Shark from the ending of The Life Aquatic; one of the soppiest and most satisfying endings of any movie ever in my opinion.

Zara jumper

Black V-necks

In the vein of Steve Jobs’ black polo-neck, a couple of young and quite possibly misguided American internet entrepreneurs have recently launched the Black V Club: an exclusive app that only sells black V-necks because: “The world’s most successful people don’t spend time choosing what to wear. Neither should you.” So, if you’re also sick and tired of having to dress yourself in the morning then it’s time to visit Zara – where the Black V Club’s Edward Lando and Yagil Burowski used to buy all their black Vs – and buy out its stock of this particularly smart £29.99 sweater with leather elbow patches.

Just don’t pair them with high-waisted flared jeans or you’ll look like Simon Cowell.

White is the new black

Powerful people often wear lots of white, from captains of ships to crooners of overtly sexual R&B. It’s a sign that you don’t have to worry whether you splatter spaghetti sauce over yourself because you have lots of other white clothes, even if you don’t have a White T Club yet. Consider this new video from Chris Brown, Usher and Rick Ross – which is very catchy even though it contains Chris Brown – and all its opulent signifiers of white suits, glittering watches and infinity pool parties. One of Britain’s most talented designers, Matthew Miller, has made an amazing triple-dip sweatshirt in three shades of white (you’ll have to look very closely), which is currently on sale for £69 from Other Shop and is well worth investing in if you wish to look fresh and clean.

Polo shirts

It’s worth noting here that lots of successful men dress badly, despite having the means to do better. Nonetheless there are always style lessons to be learned from stockbrokers. What does the Wolf of Wall Street wear to a boat party? Black Ray-Bans tucked into the open collar of a white Ralph Lauren polo. This is a truly excellent look – the casual, modern equivalent of Henry VIII in his white ermine stole and golden chain – and considerably more affordable, with the same polo shirts currently on sale for £42.

Gold accessories

Powerful people also wear lots of gold. Jason and his Argonauts undertook a quest to steal the original Golden Fleece, which was crafted from the curly pelt of a talking ram and guarded by a sleeping dragon; all of which just goes to show how desirable it was. Likewise Indian millionaire Datta Phuge recently spent around £140,000 on a shirt woven out of more than 3kg of gold. “Some people ask me why I’m wearing so much gold,” he has explained, ”but it was my dream. People have different aspirations … I chose gold.” If you have those same aspirations but a lot, lot less cash, consider investing in a golden skull shawl from Alexander McQueen; it’s one of the brilliant British house’s signature items and will likely last you a lifetime.

That suggested, if you wish to become truly rich you should really start saving and stop spending £275 on a golden scarf; which, sadly, is the dilemma at the heart of every Henry.